What’s happening at Newark airport? Update on flight cancellations and delays as travel chaos continues

In the constant hustle and bustle of one of the busiest airports in the United States, a terrifying 90 seconds of quiet had disastrous results. 

On April 28, the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) lost both radar and radio for a minute and a half due to a fried piece of copper wiring, the New York Post reported. This meant that air traffic controllers could not see, hear, or speak to aircraft or pilots around the airport. 

The event did not lead to any crashes, but it did cause significant stress on employees working at the time; five FAA employees are reportedly taking trauma leave, according to CNN, making them eligible for 45 days to recover from the event.

How has the incident impacted flights?

Along with a slew of other problems slowing down the airport—such as the temporary closure of a major runway for repair work and a nearly 30-year low of air controller staffing—last Monday’s incident has led to major delays and cancellations for the airport.

And these delays and cancellations have continued to persist: According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, Newark airport has seen over 200 delays and 110 cancellations by 12:30 today.

What have airlines said about the situation?

Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, wrote in a message on Friday that Newark airport’s technology problems were compounded when “over 20% of the FAA controllers for EWR walked off the job,” putting further stress on already understaffed systems.

“Without these controllers, it’s now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead,” He wrote.

Due to these difficulties, Kirby added, United would cancel 35 round trips per day from Newark beginning this past weekend.

“It’s disappointing to make further cuts to an already reduced schedule at Newark, but since there is no way to resolve the near-term structural FAA staffing issues, we feel like there is no other choice in order to protect our customers,” says Kirby.

How long is this chaos going to last?

While issues like the runway closure will be resolved in June, the severe lack of air traffic controllers and replacing old equipment is a longer-term problem. According to a report by Axios, the New York City region only had around 65% of its target number of certified air traffic controllers as of September 2023. 

This is in part because of the relatively narrow window in which people can enter the position. The FAA does not allow anyone to apply to be a controller if they are over the age of 30 and requires all controllers to retire by the age of 56. Additionally, training to become a certified professional controller (CPC) is a long and difficult process spanning 3-4 years and causes around 40% of paid trainees to drop out. 

In order to boost the numbers of air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference on May 1 that the Department of Transportation will roll out incentives such as:

• A 30% salary increase for new hires
• A $5,000 bonus for FAA Academy completion
• Additional resources to help students improve final exam scores
• Bonuses to controllers nearing retirement age
• Bonuses to controllers willing to staff less popular locations

“We’re hoping in three to four years we can get to full staffing, not 20 years,” Duffy said.

Additionally, in a statement on May 5, the FAA said that it is working on speeding up modernization efforts to improve Newark airport’s technology infrastructure.

“We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency,” the agency said.

What if I’m flying in or out of Newark?

Although the FAA and Department of Transportation are promising improvements for Newark airport, the unfortunate reality is that it will take a long time for travelers to see the results from them. 

Travelers with flights going through Newark in the coming weeks and months should stay alert and check frequently for possible delays and disruptions and consider backup plans when possible.

It also may be a good idea to try to book flights earlier in the day as they are typically less likely to be delayed or canceled.

In the case that your flight is cancelled or heavily delayed, the Department of Transportation says that you are entitled to a refund: “If an airline cancels a passenger’s flight or makes a significant change in the flight, regardless of the reason, airlines are required to provide a prompt refund to a ticketed passenger, including those with non-refundable tickets, should the passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered, such as rebooking on another flight.”

View the full article